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In presenting the reality, not the myths of Israel’s options in regards to finding an everlasting peace with Arab citizens, under both Hamas and Palestinian Authority control, Dr. Martin Sherman pulls no punches. On Dec 4 and 6 respectively he spoke at Beth Tikvah and at a downtown luncheon, and shared facts upon which decisions should be made, facts which have not changed in several decades, and facts which render both the two state and the one state solutions impossible, and undesirable.

It should be self-evident that the Palestinian narrative is based on myths; myths of a Palestinian (read Arab Muslim) people, of a Palestinian nation existing for eons in history, a myth about occupation and a colonial imposed Jewish state, and more. Only by destroying the Palestinian narrative, will it be possible to put forward a real alternative and it’s urgent to do so. Sherman put his views forward in an urgent but scholarly, rational, manner—Arabs in the Negev or Jews in Gaza. Sherman explained this is the choice to be made because the Arabs are not content to just live in Gaza and control their own destinies; they will continue to foment unrest and threaten the lives of the Jews in southern Israel, if not all of Israel. From the so-called West Bank there will also continue to be unrest because it is ungovernable, and frankly it is currently ungoverned by the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Recent discoveries of terror tunnels in Lebanon and the ongoing creation of tunnels from Gaza can’t be dismissed, and with knife, car and rock attacks in the areas of Jerusalem, Samaria and Judea, it truly is time for a new paradigm and a smashing of the old ones- no peace is possible with the lack of peace partners. More importantly, with a perennial, decades long commitment by Arab Muslims to the eradication Israel, it’s truly time for new options. Dr. Sherman is bold enough to challenge hard core peace activists and hard core hawks.

Viewing the major cities and strategic sites of Israel from the highest point overlooking the coast which is the mountain range running through Judea, we learn from Sherman that the Arabs would have the advantage over Israel and could rain down mortars and missiles and destroy the country. While this is not news, what is new is seeing this graphically, and understanding there is a desire for the average Arab in Judea and Samaria to have a better life which will never happen under PA domination, and their total corruption, mismanagement and antisemtic doctrine that is their lifeblood. Arabs know Israel will fight, retaliate and destroy so there is no future, on either side, if the two peoples continue to live in such close proximity.

The answer then - incentivized migration - give Arab families enough money to leave and settle elsewhere, presumably in another Muslim country, but wherever they find a welcoming nation. The cost is not prohibitive when compared with the security and military costs now borne by Israel and the US and other nations. The UN provides no security for Israel and funds UNWRA which also perpetuates the lies and the hatred by Arabs.

Finally, the Israel Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) of which Dr. Sherman is Founder and CEO, is eager to share the information that he presented, and to build alliances with influencers, supporters, political activists, public relations organizations and communities across the globe that understand the time has come to resolve this age old conflict and provide a secure, safe future for Jews and Arabs alike.